Black tie dinner welcomes new WCoBM Master

The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants has welcomed its new Master with a black tie dinner.

Pippa Latham was installed at a ceremony in Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London at the end of October.

Wardens Dame Fiona Woolf, D.B.E, DL and Stewart Pierce were elected to support her, and Liveryman Lucia Di Stazio of MRA Marketing was invited to join the Court as a new assistant.

The event was followed by a black tie dinner, with guests including Alderman Sir Roger and Lady Gifford, and the Company’s military affiliates – 3rd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (3PWRR), HMS Forth and the Beckenham & Penge Sea Cadets.

Latham became a Freeman of the Company in June 2005 and was made a Liveryman in October the following year.

Her early career was in investment banking and management consultancy before joining the family business James Latham plc, in 1990, becoming Non-Executive Director in 2008.

Latham said she was looking forward to her year as Master, and was “determined to continue [the WCoBM’s] Past Masters’ work, raising the profile of WCoBM and that of builders’ merchants within the City Livery movement”.

She added: “The industry has huge value in terms of jobs, incomes and tax generation, adding to the UK’s general prosperity - builders’ merchants are vital contributors to supplying Britain’s building needs.

“But we live in an increasingly fast moving trading-world of transparency and digitalisation, so people and businesses in our industry need to take advantage of new technologies and innovations to help themselves and to drive economic growth.”